computation

noun

com·​pu·​ta·​tion ˌkäm-pyu̇-ˈtā-shən 

-pyü-

1

a

: the act or action of computing : calculation

b

: the use or operation of a computer

2

: a system of reckoning

3

: an amount computed

computational

ˌkäm-pyu̇-ˈtā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

-pyü-

adjective

computationally adverb

Synonyms

• arithmetic
• calculation
• calculus
• ciphering
• figures
• figuring
• math
• mathematics
• number crunching
• numbers
• reckoning

Examples of computation in a Sentence

methods used for the computation of taxes

The solution required a series of computations.

Recent Examples on the Web

Converting between electronic and optical signals also places fundamental limits on chips’ abilities to run computations as one. —Will Knight, WIRED, 4 Apr. 2024

Computational photography uses computation together with data like location, time of day, personal preferences and other data to improve images. —Douglas Goodwin, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024

The outer layers would use the waste heat of the inner layers to power their computations, with the aim of making use of every bit of energy for processing. —Karl Schroeder, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2024

Whereas conventional electronics perform these calculations line by line, the new optical device performs the entirety of these computations at once. —IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2024

Artificial Intelligence, especially generative AI, has pushed the performance boundaries of computation, memory, and networking. —Karl Freund, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

The computations Weigold used to arrive at his death toll, moreover, are riddled with errors that range from faulty premises to wild extrapolations. —Rebecca Panovka, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024

By harnessing more elaborate superpositions involving many qubits, quantum computers can perform certain computations much faster than any conventional machine. —Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 17 Mar. 2024

Farina leverages computation, including AI, to explore aesthetic possibilities that are mapped onto spaces occupied by entities and forces. —The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

computation

noun

com·​pu·​ta·​tion ˌkäm-pyu̇-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act or action of computing : calculation

2

: a system of calculating especially by mathematical means

3

: an amount computed

computational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective